Pillows (zhentou)
When it comes to pillow talk, sooner or later a Pingyao native will produce
the popular folk tale of a certain famous Empress Dowager.
China's last empress, Cixi, visited town for exactly one day. She was having
trouble sleeping so a local official produced a pillow and the lucky imperial
lady nodded off in no time.
The next day, when she asked the official about the miracle pillow, he allegedly
answered: "This pillow is called 'liuhetai' because it has six holes.
The six holes express the world at peace. We hope the world is at peace,
the country is prosperous and that people live in peace."
There are two other characteristics unique to a Pingyao pillow, according
to vendor Zhao Guoqing. First, he says, there's the shape: the holes are
great for soothing the neck and the ear. Second, the stuffing. Fillings
include wild herbs, Chinese medicine, tea leaves, buckwheat husk and silkworm
excrement - all with various fringe benefits for health.
"The eight-hole pillows are especially fiddly," says Zhao. "Because
they have to be sewed inside out and then when you turn them back in they
can fill up with air and it's easy to mess it all up. We had this old local
lady come to the factory and show all the workers how to do it right."
People have been making pillows in Pingyao for more than 200 years, but
the business really only took off after Cixi's visit, adds Zhao.
Zhentou shops:
Liuhetai Pillow Factory 六合泰枕头工艺厂
Address: 7 Beiyi Xiang, Shangdongguan Jie
Tel: (0354) 569-0818
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